


Everything Wrong With: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

by PierceTheVeils



Series: Everything Wrong With: The Ace Attorney Games [1]
Category: CinemaSins, 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: CInemaSins is amazing, Dirty Jokes, Gen, Humor, I don't swear this much in real life, Non-Serious Game Reviews, Promise, Series Spoilers, third of these babies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2018-10-31 20:31:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10906953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PierceTheVeils/pseuds/PierceTheVeils
Summary: No video game is without sin.





	1. Everything Wrong With: The First Turnabout

"The start of the series." *starts with negative one sin count

(On the clock) "Pink blood." *ding

"Murder mystery game shows us who the culprit is for the first time in a long, long series." *ding

"Murderer narrates to himself at the scene of the crime." *ding

"Mia Fey." *removes a sin

("Not everyone takes on a murder trial right off the bat like this.") "Unless you're a lawyer in this series, in which case it's the _only_ sort of trial you take on." *ding

"Larry Butz isn't annoying as fuck yet. He's actually okay in this episode." *ding

"Winston Payne isn't annoying as fuck yet. He's actually okay in this episode." *ding

"The judge pulls some weird readiness test on Phoenix and... never does it again for the rest of the series to anyone else. Why is that?" *ding

"Larry Butz doesn't know what being dumped means, so the series goes on to teach it to him many times over. Seems fair, right?" *ding

"Cindy Stone was a model and had several sugar daddies, but still lived in a tiny, not-very-nice apartment frequented by thieves because... plot." *ding

"Frank Sahwit felt the need to report his own crime to the police, even though he could have done nothing and gotten away with it. Frank Sahwit is the first in a long list of series culprits that foil their own plot." *ding

"Also, Frank Sahwit's shoulders." *ding

"How did Phoenix graduate law school with no idea how to cross-examine? Apollo, Mia, and Athena all at least know what it is when they start out." *ding

"Frank Sahwit is a terrible liar." *ding

(Pursuit theme plays) *removes a sin

"The hair throw." *ding

(Phoenix is about to give up when) "Mentor ex machina." *ding

("Or should I say, Mr. Did it?") "Bad puns." *ding

"This court session was only twenty minutes long. Seeing as I'm in a middle of sinning Turnabout Revolution, that's actually quite a relief." *no sin

(Phoenix explains Sahwit's motive) "Narration." *ding

"Why did returning to the defendant lobby take three hours? That never gets explained." *ding

"Larry Butz thinks murder weapons are an appropriate present for a woman. This is ultimately how The Thinker Clock is able to claim a second victim, and I partially blame Larry for Mia's murder, goddammit." *ding

(Mia's closing speech) "More narration." *ding

"Also, ending narration. This case is half narration, when you think about it. And considering how short it is, that's not a good thing." *ding

**Total Sin Tally: 18**

**Sentence: Toupee to the Face**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N's: Yeah, I'm over three thousand words in on the second part of Turnabout Revolution right now, and the trial has barely started. I wanted to do something else for a bit, and what better way to announce the next game to get sinned than to start sinning? I'm probably going to finish SoJ before I do Turnabout Sisters, though. In the meantime, enjoy this little teaser.


	2. Everything Wrong With: Turnabout Sisters

"Mia gives evidence in need of safeguarding to Maya, instead of locking it up in a safe or taking it to a safety deposit box. This isn't _that_ stupid per se, but it is ultimately what sets off a long, long chain of Maya getting accused of murders. How many mirrors did she break on her way to the office?" *ding

"Mia says she had to attend a pre-trial meeting in her phone call, but the series never mentions them again. Why is that?" *ding

"Mia doesn't run from, call the police on, or try to attack a man she's investigating as a dangerous criminal when he confronts her. So this is where Phoenix gets it." *ding

"Mia Fey is dead." *would sin this, but I basically am every time I utter the phrase "mentor ex machina" while Mia is channeled, so... five sins anyway

(gameplay starts) "The shadow on Mia's breasts from the side angle and front angle do not match." *ding

"Phoenix shows almost no strong emotions over his mentor being murdered. In other news, game where someone dies every episode expects me to feel sadness over one woman's death. Instead, I will feel frustration for the sheer number of times she mentor ex machinas as a ghost, all because of this case." *ding

"Detective Gumshoe." *removes three sins

"I remove sins for Gumshoe, then he arrests Maya after spending five seconds at the crime scene, looking at a paper." *one sin given back

(Maya describes Mia telling her about the first case) "Mia waaaaay overhypes the events of the first episode to Maya." *ding

"Maya says she has no one else to turn to... until the next game, when it's revealed she's had an aunt living in Kurain with her all along. Sure, _I_ know what's going to come of that a year from now, but there's no way Maya did." *ding

(Going back to the office) "Game finds a way to get away with calling their detective a dick in this series." *no sin

(getting Maya's cell phone back) "Gumshoe falls for this." *ding

(Visiting April May, Phoenix says "I wonder what could be inside this drawer") "Looks like a vibrator." *ding

"Marvin Grossberg." *ding

"Grossberg says his painting is worth three million dollars, but is doing literally nothing to ensure it doesn't get taken or damaged. In other words, no way is that painting making it through the episode without being stolen." *ding

"Phoenix narrates to himself out loud while snooping through someone's hotel room." *ding

"That wiretap looks _nothing_ like what was sticking out of the drawer. Not even the same color." *ding

(to court) "Miles Edgeworth in demon mode." *ding

"Also, Miles Edgeworth." *removes five sins

"Maya throws things at Phoenix from the defendant's chair, and literally no one notices." *ding

"Updating the autopsy report." *ding

"Edgeworth goes out of his way to insult someone who was just murdered." *ding

"April May has one of the most understated, yet effective breakdowns in the series, second only to Dee Vasquez." *no sin

(presenting the wiretap) "Phoenix confesses to unlawfully entering April May's hotel room and stealing from her. Naturally, these actions bear no consequences whatsoever." *ding

"April May drinks iced coffee at nine pm. _Someone_ doesn't like sleeping." *ding

(Bellboy on the stand) "This character never gives us a name, even though it's courtroom procedure for _all_ witnesses to name themselves." *ding

("I object! That was... objectionable!") "Frivolous Objection cliche origin." *only a half sin

"I would just like to point out that Phoenix has no evidence to accuse the man with April May at this stage of the case. All he knows is that he checked in with April May at the time of the murder and wasn't in the room when it happened. For all we can prove right now, Redd White could have been in the bathroom." *ding

"Forty minute trial gameplay somehow took four hours game-time." *ding

"Maya thinks the guy trying to convict her of murdering her sister is attractive. After Oldbag, this is the weirdest 'chics dig the Edgeworth' moment in the entire game." *ding

(investigating) "Visiting April May in detention was somehow considered a worthwhile way to waste game time. Phoenix _just_ got her arrested. Who thought visiting her would be in any way productive?" *ding

"Talking to the bellboy is _also_ pretty pointless. All he does is ask for photos and show off his business sense. And it is counter-intuitive that the game requires you to make a pointless visit before getting anything out of a second one for two different people." *ding

(At Grossberg's office) "Phoenix continues to narrate aloud while snooping through things he shouldn't. He _does_ know he has an internal monologue for a reason, right? If his text were in blue, this sin could be easily avoided." *ding

("That does it. When this case is over, I'm shaving my head.") "Phoenix does not shave his head." *ding

"Phoenix immediately throws away helpful evidence after using it a total of once." *ding

("I'm Redd White, CEO of Bluecorp. You know, Corporate Expansion Official?") "That's not what CEO stands for." *ding

"Redd White." *ding

"Also, Redd White's tie." *ding

"Redd White steals a three million dollar painting from someone and assaults Phoenix Wright, but when he's brought down for murder, those charges never come up again, even though the dollar value of the painting easily makes it a felony." *ding

"Grossberg says he's been paying Bluecorp money for fifteen years, but White said they'd only been around for ten. So... which is it?" *ding

(Call with the Chief Prosecutor) "We know what Damon Gant was blackmailing Lana Skye over, but what did Redd White have against her? That was never explained." *ding

"Arresting Phoenix Wright with absolutely zero evidence is probably one of the most unlawful arrests in the series. So naturally, the legality of the matter is never questioned and no one is ever punished for it, even after White is arrested for the crime. Not to mention... what happens to Maya? Is she officially declared innocent because of this? That was never explained." *ding

"Phoenix says it's the beginning of a new century... in 2016. This inaccuracy was fixed in later versions, but it still exists in the original English version of the game." *ding

(back in courthouse) "Edgeworth visits a man he knows was arrested on zero evidence to tell him he will be found guilty no matter what. I know this pre-development Edgeworth, but... _really_?" *ding

"Hey, what happened on September 8th? Game jumps from the 7th to the 9th and thinks I won't notice." *ding

"Edgeworth can't get witnesses to say their name cliche origin." *another half sin

"Edgeworth doesn't even try to explain why April May would lie about Maya killing Mia if Phoenix was the one who did it... probably to hide the level of bullshitting that would require." *ding

(gallery insists trial goes after Redd White) "For once in the series's lifetime, the gallery is helpful to the defense. I will remove one sin for the rarity of this occasion." *removes one sin

(White loses it after fifteen minutes of trial) "And the award for most over-inflated villain of the series goes to..." *ding

"How does Phoenix not immediately remember that the light stand wasn't in the office a week before the murder? He works there every day!" *ding

(Mia tells Phoenix how to win the case) "Mentor ex machina." *ding

(Trial reconvenes three hours after initially starting) "...How long was Phoenix out for? The trial was only twenty five minutes long before Mia showed up." *ding

(Edgeworth tries to get an extra day of trial, possibly so he can forge evidence) "I just realized something: this case is more 'Dark Age of the Law' than anything Dual Destinies had to offer. Where was shit like this in that game?" *not really a sin on this case, but still

(The list of names) "Mia blackmails a blackmailer. And I really want to remove a sin for this, but... why didn't she try this when she was alive? She could have lived!" *I'm not about to sin Mia being awesome, but I won't take a sin away, either

"Literally no one ever comments on Mia coming back from the dead." *ding

(The later part of the trial supposedly took about an hour) "How long was that list of names? The rest of the trial sure didn't take that much time." *ding

(Maya and Phoenix team up) *removes a sin

**Total Sin Tally: 44**

**Sentence: Redd White's Interrogation (how splendiferous!)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N's: Hey everyone! This took me a lot less time to sin than I thought it would. I remembered cases from the first game being shorter than ones from later games, but I didn't realize they were this much shorter. I wrote most of this review today!
> 
> And I want to clarify a few things: I love Mia as a character, especially for her role in T&T. What I don't like is how she's basically a deus ex machina Phoenix can't win a single case without the help of. I also dislike how T&T revealed she had such awesome cases as a lawyer, but she was killed off twenty minutes into the first game by... the guy it only took fifteen minutes to put in breakdown mode and would have been done then and there if Edgeworth didn't feel such a pressure to win all the time. Her character just feels like a huge waste of potential, and for that reason, I never really enjoyed this case. I acknowledge its importance to the series, but I don't like it that much as a whole.
> 
> But I hope you enjoyed this review, regardless. I'll probably go back and do Time Traveler from SoJ at some point, but I might do it when I finish Turnabout Samurai and am working on this game's finale.
> 
> Thanks for reading, don't forget to review, check out the new chapter of ERB:AA, and I'll see you on the far side!


	3. Everything Wrong With: Turnabout Samurai

(The Steel Samurai show cutscene) "To save on animation, the majority of this episode is narrated on black screen." *ding

"Also, narration." *ding

(Gameplay starts) "Why is there a TV in the office? It's almost like they knew ahead of time they wouldn't be getting many clients and needed something to distract them all day." *ding

"Phoenix solves a case that gets tons of press coverage, defeats an undefeated prosecutor, and took down a public figure, so naturally, his office is completely devoid of any and all clients in the month following." *ding

"Why does Will Powers want Phoenix as his lawyer? Does Global Studios not have a legal team on hand? If Will is as famous as the game pretends he is, he shouldn't need to hire a lawyer with only two cases under his belt. Is it because Phoenix is cheaper? I think he might be cheaper." *ding

(Meeting Powers) "Contrary to what the game is trying to tell me, Will Powers looks way too much like Cowardly Lion to be intimidating." *ding

"Wendy Oldbag." *ten sins

"Oldbag claims the studio with _the most popular_ kids show on television is going downhill. I don't think she knows what going downhill means." *ding

"Maya hurts Gumshoe's feelings." *ding

(Penny Nichols) "Introducing... the most forgettable character of the entire series. Poor girl." *ding

"Oldbag rags on Penny for being a part time employee, but supposedly starts her security job at one pm every day, meaning she is too. Pot, meet kettle." *ding

("It's never a good idea to reveal your hand to the enemy too soon") "Phoenix tries to warn his future self about confronting Vasquez prematurely. Too bad it doesn't work." *ding

(In court) "Edgeworth is still in demon mode." *ding

"Gumshoe comes to the witness stand to tell the player everything they already know and that the prosecution could have included in their opening statement instead of testifying for... what reason?" *ding

(Oldbag on the stand) "Oldbag develops a years-long obsession with Edgeworth from this case, but she still wants him to call her 'grandma'. Wendy Oldbag is creepy." *ding

"Edgeworth can't get witnesses to say their name cliche." *ding

"If Edgeworth is this surprised there's more evidence in this case than meets the eye, that means he was trying to get a conviction based on a photo of someone in a costume. My question isn't how Phoenix beats him, it's how Edgeworth went this long without losing. Some rival he is!" *ding

"Oldbag knows the grate has been loose for a while and that kids can sneak into the studio that way, but literally nothing has been done about it thus far. Why?" *ding

(In recess) "Will Powers now knows that the studio is raided by fanboys on a daily basis, but still can't imagine why anyone would steal his Samurai suit." *ding

"Phoenix knowingly accuses an innocent person to stall for time here, but in the next game, it's a huge moral crisis for him. Why?" *ding

"Also, Edgeworth has no problems watching a witness get accused of murder with mere conjecture, simply because she's annoying. Edgeworth is a jerk at the expense of his case." *ding

(Phoenix returns to the defendant lobby at 1pm) "Thirty minute trial somehow took three hours." *ding

"Why does Phoenix wait until the next day to investigate? He had all afternoon yesterday!" *ding

"Pointless conversation with Will Powers is pointless." *ding

(Kicking open the grate) "Phoenix gives no fucks that Maya is vandalizing the studio's property." *ding

"Also, vandalizing private property to allow for trespassing. Does Maya want to go back to jail?" *ding

"Sal Manella is a character." *five sins (I'd give more, but he's not a recurring character)

"Also, leetspeak." *ding

(Sal Manella drools over Maya) *and one more sin for good measure

"Cody Hackins." *ding

(Meeting Dee Vasquez) "Dee Vasquez isn't quite as annoying as everyone else in the case. I'd remove a sin, if I wasn't an asshole with higher standards than this." *ding

("U-Uh oh... my ass is p0wned if I don't find it...") "Sal Manella in a T-rated game is allowed to swear, but virtually no one in later games is. Not even in Dual Destinies, which was given an M-rating. Have rating standards changed that drastically from 2005 to now?" *ding

(Phoenix finds the script) "Phoenix Wright does everyone else's chores instead of... I don't know, investigating?" *ding

"It takes forever to move between locations in early Ace Attorney games." *ding

(Maya channels Mia when the investigation hits a slump) "Mentor ex machina." *ding

"Ten whole seconds of Oldbag panting." *ding

"Game implies seven year old boy is somehow seduced by a dead woman, and no one thinks that's weird." *ding

("By offering my something I already own, you are in effect eschewing the basis of our consumer society, namely the principle of fair trade!") "Hahahahahaha." *removes a sin

"Penny is the only one who notices when Maya channels someone else. I mean, good for her, but sin on everyone else." *ding

(Penny mentions the incident revolving around Hammer) "Is this the incident-from-x-years-ago-is-related-to-today cliché origin, or is it the DL-6 incident? I can never be sure on this one." *ding

"Phoenix doesn't know what the big deal is about trading Steel Samurai cards, even though he grew up in a time when Pokemon cards were popular. So what's up with this?" *ding

"Cody is impressed with his "new" digital camera... in 2016. I get the game was made in 2001, but that doesn't mean the characters should be impressed with 2001 technology." *ding

"Phoenix wants to hide witness testimony from court, even though he got all upset with Edgeworth and called him immoral for doing the same thing last episode. Hypocrite much?" *ding

(Gumshoe wants to interrogate a minor without his parents present.) "That's not legal." *ding

(Back to court) "Sal Manella on the witness stand." *ding

"The 'press one statement before pressing another to get a contradiction' is a great trick to use in cross examinations, so naturally, _none_ of the later games use it." *sin on the later games

"According to the game, Sal Manella's testimony took an hour. How? Why?!" *ding

"Edgeworth has a problem with traumatizing grade school boys during a murder trial, but not mentally ill young women or teenage girls. I'm sure that makes to somebody, but it doesn't make sense to me." *ding

(Cody on the stand) "Edgeworth can't get witnesses to say their name cliche." *ding

("Wait, so you're saying you had to bargain terms with a kid... and you LOST?") "Hahahahaha." *removes a sin

(Mia tells us how to get through the testimony) "More mentor ex machina. And I thought Dual Destinies held your hand." *ding

"Judge doesn't know what a digital camera is in 2016." *ding

("I don't care if he's a child or a prosecuting attorney. No one should lie in court!") "Is Phoenix being savage, or foreshadowing the finale for us? I can never be sure on this one." *ding

"Mia is entirely too excited to break apart the testimony of a seven year old." *ding

"Phoenix makes a seven year old cry in court. An annoying seven year old, but a seven year old nonetheless." *ding

"You know a fun thing I noticed? In the third case of the first game _and_ the first case of the third game, the piece of evidence that ultimately saves our client is a bottle of medicine. Coincidence?" *no sin, just a thought

"Is this the only non-finale case to ever get extended into three days? I think this is the only non-finale case to get extended into three days. Why don't more cases do that?" *ding

"Both Mia and Phoenix tease their client about how many times they nearly left him for dead. Mia and Phoenix are jerks in this case." *ding

(At the office) "Maya had a lawyer for a sister, and was recently tried for a crime, but she still doesn't know what the Initial Trial system is... even though it's been in place for years. They don't even need this for the player's benefit, since the system was already explained. In other words, Maya plays dumb for no reason." *ding

"No matter what day it is, Oldbag always has plenty of donuts in her guard station. What an unhealthy cliche." *ding

"Game implies relationship between Dee Vasquez and Sal Manella. That is a fanfiction I never want to read." *ding

"Penny has no surprised animation. This bothers me more than it should." *ding

"Studio with _the most popular_ kids show on television doesn't want to make kids shows anymore, even though it is probably making tons of money. Studio is an idiot." *ding

"Phoenix forgets Penny's name five seconds after talking to her." *ding

(Phoenix presents the photo to Vasquez) "Phoenix presents incriminating evidence to the killer outside of trial, and is surprised when it goes badly." *ding

(The mafia appears out of nowhere) "Where did they come from?!" *ding

(Gumshoe eavesdrops on Phoenix and Maya for the second time this case, saving their asses) "Do I add a sin for Gumshoe presumably following Phoenix everywhere just to listen to his conversations, or remove a sin for Gumshoe being awesome? Eh, Gumshoe deserves a break." *removes a sin

"Nothing ever happens to Vasquez for calling on the mafia to 'erase' people." *ding

(Last day of trial) "Vasquez bosses Edgeworth, Phoenix, and the judge around more than once in her testimony, and literally no one cares." *ding

"Vasquez gives zero fucks about being accused of murder." *ding

(Hammer dies the same why he caused someone else to) "Irony." *no sin

("I was hoping to come up with a question while objecting, Your Honor. I didn't.") "Frivolous Objection cliche." *ding

"Watching Edgeworth struggle as much as Phoenix during a trial is slightly cathartic, but it just reminds me of how little he actually does in this case until now. Way to waste the Edgeworth, Capcom." *ding

(Edgeworth essentially wins the case for us) "Can Phoenix win any cases for himself? This is the third time someone else has stepped up to deliver a major blow for him. And considering there's only been three cases so far, that isn't a good thing." *ding

(Vasquez breaks her pipe) "Ladies and gentleman, presenting... the most understated breakdown of the series." *no sin

(Court releases at one pm) "Thirty six minute trial somehow took... oh I give up." *ding

"Will Powers introduces himself to Edgeworth here, despite having been prosecuted by him for the past five days... unless you're telling me Edgeworth took this case without bothering to ever speak to his own suspect. Some rival he is." *ding

("Thanks to you, I'm saddled with unnecessary... feelings.") "...Are we still talking about the case, here?" *ding

"Phoenix became the talk of the town after this trial, but will still receive zero cases in the two months to come." *ding

"Also, ending narration." *ding

**Total Sin Tally: 84**

**Sentence: "Erased" by "Professionals"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N's: And so the third case of the first game has finished being sinned! Hooray! While probably my least favorite of the game, it isn't long enough to receive the most sins. Most likely, RftA (the longest case) will. Just think of how Turnabout Storyteller was my least favorite case from SoJ, and it got the least sins out of all of them.
> 
> It might be a while before I update this story. I was planning to go back and sin Turnabout Time Traveler after this, and even if I don't, finales in general take a long time. Sorry to say that, but I should be updating other things all the while
> 
> Thanks for reading, please leave a comment below, and I'll see you on the far side.


	4. Everything Wrong With: Turnabout Goodbyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N's: Oh boy. I'm about to sin what's probably the most iconic case in all of AA. Part of me is worried about making people mad, but the other is really excited for this. This fic series is a great excuse to play games I haven't in a while. Like all finales, expect the sin counter to go wild.
> 
> And without further ado... let the sinning begin!

"I'm fine with Phoenix and Maya celebrating their Christmas together. I really am. But... why would they spend it at the office? Why not host the party at one of their homes? It's like they're  _asking_  for work on the holidays, goddammit." *ding

(Maya attempts to take a cold shower at the office) "Why does a law office have a fully functioning shower? That never gets explained." *ding

"TV news pretends it isn't only going to report on what's pertinent to the game's characters at any given time, but both news segments end up being vital to the case anyway. What are they, Takumi News Network?" *ding

("Edgeworth. We don't have so much free time we can spend it coming down here to laugh at you." "...Yes you do.") "Edgeworth is savage, but he's also right. How is it after months of never getting cases, Phoenix just happens to discover one on a holiday? What kind of mirror did he break in college?" *ding

"The mental picture of Edgeworth searching for Gourdy is... honestly, quite hilarious." *no sin

(Talking to Gumshoe) "Phoenix acts like the presence of a witness makes a case hopeless, but um... in every case he's taken so far, there's been at least one witness, and that didn't stop him from winning all of them. If anything, their presence is the only reason he  _could_  win, because it creates the potential for another suspect. So why the long face?" *ding

"After a game of trying and failing to make our investigations more difficult, Gumshoe teams up with Phoenix to aid the investigation. The game goes on to imply that's against the police code, but I guess the power of Edgeworth is stronger." *not necessarily a sin

"Phoenix and Maya set Lotta's expensive camera off for no reason (wasting an entire roll of film), and are surprised when they get yelled at. I gotta say, they had it coming." *ding

"Lotta accuses Phoenix and Maya of being Yanks... in Southern California. I don't think that word means what she thinks it means." *ding

(Maya recognizes Hammond's photo) "Foreshadowing." *ding

"Larry appears twice in the same game. I think I speak for most players when I say I can only tolerate him in small doses." *ding

"Larry suspects Phoenix of getting with a seventeen year old girl. And since the age of consent in California is eighteen... yeah, that's a sin right there. Wait another game, will you?" *ding

(Larry reveals he, Phoenix, and Edgeworth all went to grade school together) "Protagonist and rival have a secret shared past cliche. This might be the cliche origin for the series, but is by no means original as far as video games go." *ding

(At Grossberg's office) "It's been over three months. How has Grossberg still not gotten his painting back? Three million dollars is not 'just desserts'. It's a felony charge that White is getting away with." *ding

"Grossberg can't initially recognize Maya  _or_  Hammond, even though he should have seen both people many times before now. Is he older than I think he is? Does he _also_  have a memory disorder we don't know about? I thought that was only a cliche for later games, goddammit!" *ding

(Discussing how the DL-6 incident relates to today) "Incident from x years ago is related to today cliche. I'm not sure if this is the origin of the cliche (or if the studio murder is), but the cliche is used three times in this game to the point of overkill. So naturally, this cliche gets three sins" *three sins

"Edgeworth is impressed with Phoenix's ability to find common names from famous cases and show him a woman's photo. Edgeworth has low standards." *ding

"Murder cases having any sort of statute of limitations whatsoever. There's a reason it no longer exists in Japan. Also, it's only used in this series to generate tension where it already exists in multitudes. On top of being a woefully idiotic law, it's also narratively pointless, thus earning a double sin." *two sins

"Game thinks it is in any way okay to even _pretend_  you have the option to not defend Edgeworth. Because you know: there's  _ever_ a time in this series where Phoenix is capable of refusing a client on-screen." *ding

"Edgeworth is clearly traumatized by the earthquake, and Phoenix's response is to completely ignore him. Phoenix is a dick to his client/rival." *ding

(Gumshoe complains about Phoenix discovering Lotta) "Phoenix  _says_  he can't just go around covering up witnesses because it would be immoral, but he tried to do just that only one episode ago. Gumshoe knows this. He's the one who caught Phoenix doing it." *ding

(To the courthouse) "Edgeworth tries to warn Phoenix about the monster that is Von Karma, and Phoenix's first response is to insult him." *ding

"Also, game allows Von Karma to prosecute his adopted son. And just because I know conflict of interest doesn't exist in this universe doesn't mean I won't sin the obvious conflict of interest." *ding

"Manfred Von Karma's fashion sense." *ding

"Also, Manfred Von Karma. I'd give him more than one sin here, but he earns enough over the course of the case that it really doesn't matter." *ding

"Gumshoe says the boat was in the middle of the lake, but the diagram disagrees. Why?" *ding

(Von Karma tells the judge what to do) "Manfred Von Karma attended the Manfred Von Karma school of... oh, wait." *ding

"Why are mottos of the month considered department secrets by Von Karma? They seem harmless enough to me." *ding

"Von Karma managed to get fatigued after ten minutes (or, if you believe the game, an hour) of trial, but we later see him lunge after and assault two young people with a taser after a long confrontation. Since when is the stamina of older characters so plot-reliant?" *ding

"Edgeworth is twenty-four. Isn't he a little young to be concerned about getting a heart attack? I mean, sure, he already has grey hair, but-" *ding

(Lotta on the stand) "Sure, the judge is all willing to kick out obnoxious gallery members in this game, but in the latest one, they get away with anything and everything. Who allowed this to change over a twelve year period?" *ding

("The photo is worth a thousand words... and they all read "guilty"!") "Cool figure of speech, but... where (besides maybe Von Karma's trial record) are you gonna see the word guilty written a thousand times?" *ding

(Maya interrupts the trial to save Phoenix's ass) "Maya being awesome on her own merit." *removes three sins

"Also, Judge stands up to Von Karma after being a coward for the entire court session. Do I remove a sin for him gaining guts, or add one for it taking this long?" *does nothing in the end

"If the mist was really 'thick as grits', what makes Lotta so sure there was only one boat on the lake? Sure, we'd get shot down by Von Karma if we asked, but why does no one at least explore the possibility?" *ding

"Von Karma is caught trying to hide evidence, and never faces any consequence for it whatsoever. Even Edgeworth at least got lectured at. Although, if getting even one penalty is enough for this guy to resort to murder, cover-ups, and fifteen year revenge plans... maybe I should let it go and move on." *still gets a sin, though

(Objecting to the photo) "Left-hand-right-hand contradiction cliche. Good luck naming a mystery series that has never used it." *ding

"Also, throwback to when contempt of court existed and had actual consequences. If the later games (fuck, even JFA) are anything to go by, this place got rid of that law at the end of the game." *not really a sin on  _this_ game, but

"Detective who is clearly biased in a case against his partner prosecutor and gets yelled at by the chief about it is never even threatened with replacement by a more impartial detective. Just because I'm aware that conflict of interest doesn't exist in this universe doesn't mean it isn't sin-worthy as fuck." *ding

(Edgeworth posts Maya's bail) "Edgeworth recovering from demon mode." *removes a sin

(Lotta talks about the next time she witnesses a murder) "Why was Lotta told about her roles in the sequels before anyone else was? That never gets explained." *ding

"Lotta says she wants to make it up to us, then forces Phoenix and Maya to go Gourdy hunting for her. I guess this is her revenge for the camera film?" *ding

(The options literally say "Deal" and "No Deal") "We interrupt your regularly scheduled murder mystery to bring you... wait, was Deal or No Deal even a show when this was getting localized?" *ding

"Larry uses the Steel Samurai's name and likeness to promote his hotdog stand. I sure hope he has the approval of Global Studios for this and the paperwork to show it, but if he doesn't... yeah, that's not legal." *ding

"Gumshoe's 'best and brightest secret weapons' are... a dog, a fishing pole, and a metal detector. And yes, one of them is Chekhov's Gun. But it still merits one sin that a police officer is not better equipped than this. No wonder crime rates are so high in this place!" *ding

"There's no indication you're supposed to go (or even  _can_  go) to the boat shop at this point, you just get to wander around until you go to the Gourd Lake Public Beach and discover a new location available. Behold: the 'superior' investigations of early AA games." *ding

"Larry lies about not owning an air tank for no apparent reason." *ding

"It took Larry four days to find a large inflatable balloon floating on the surface of the lake, all so he can be a witness. If that's the case, how did no one find it before him?" *ding

"Maya wastes a second roll of Lotta's expensive film. You think that shit's easy to come by in 2016?" *ding

("Someone should whip that Butz into shape") "Oh don't worry, someone does. Larry writes a book about it." *ding

"First time we meet Yanni Yogi, and the game immediately decides that instead of '? ? ?', 'Uncle' is a more appropriate character name. Is there something Phoenix isn't telling us?" *ding

"Polly is filed under the evidence section of the Court Record, but four games later, Orla and Rifle are filed under the Character section. Why does that change from here to Dual Destinies?" *ding

"Phoenix takes advantage of an old man's (apparent) mental illness to get information about a case. And that information would somehow be considered valuable in a court of law... why, again?" *ding

"Phoenix says he and Edgeworth were almost through with fourth grade when Edgeworth left immediately after DL-6, even though DL-6 happened in December and American school years run until May or June. Easily fixed localization error left in the game is both easily fixed and left in the game." *ding

(back to court) "Phoenix is all worked up over knowing Yogi's name here, but gave zero fucks two episodes ago when the bellboy took the stand without ever revealing his name. Sure, it's important later, but that just means Phoenix only cares when the plot requires him to. And that is a sin." *ding

"Von Karma says the trial will end in three minutes, but takes three and a half minutes to call it time. If you're going to impose an arbitrary time requirement on the trial, the least you can do is stick to it. Or do what the series did, and shorten it with each passing game." *ding

(Phoenix insists the word of a parrot isn't good enough for a court of law) "Phoenix tries to talk his future self out of cross-examining an animal. Needless to say, it failed miserably." *ding

"Von Karma argues that Edgeworth (a right handed man) was smart enough to wipe his left hand prints off the murder weapon, but not smart enough to prevent himself from leaving prints with his right hand. Between this and Yogi(a left handed man)'s apparent inability to distinguish a lawyer from his estranged son, I find myself less concerned with how Von Karma eventually loses and more concerned with how he thought he had a 'perfect case' to begin with. Remember: he had no way to guarantee Lotta or her photos would exist, or even a reason to suspect they would. The plan for creating a witness hinges entirely on the assumption that someone is crazy enough to hang out at a cold, empty lake at midnight on Christmas, and when initially no witnesses came forward, Yogi volunteered himself. Had Phoenix not said anything to Lotta, the only witness would be Yogi, a la The First Turnabout. Essentially, Manfred Von Karma planned for mixed up fingerprints and a witness who fits the legal definition of insanity, and thought he'd win the case anyway. So  _this_  is where Edgeworth gets it." *ding

"Also, Phoenix misses the obvious chance to claim Yogi is legally insane and unfit to give testimony, or at least ask for the court to examine him in such a capacity. He has a case: the court just saw Yogi mistake Phoenix for his long lost son. Sure, Phoenix would be pulling a Hammond, but it's better than relying on Larry." *ding

(Von Karma says fifteen minutes have passed when only ten have) "Von Karma still can't tell time. Odd, considering how obsessed he is with it. At least he got the 'fifteen years since DL-6' right, or else he'd be untouchable." *ding

(the guilty verdict) "Fission Mailing." *ding

"Aso, Larry ex Machina." *ding

"Judge stands up to Von Karma once again when Phoenix needs it most. This time, I remove a sin. Go His Honor!" *removes a sin

(The appearance of Larry is the first time Von Karma's ever had to deal with an unexpected complication in a case) "Until AAI2, when the series decides Von Karma took a case involving a year-long trial, settling for a lesser charge, forced confessions, and disappearing bodies. This game may allude to one of the things on that list, but certainly not all of them." *ding

"Five minutes recess somehow took seven. Forget keeping up with real time: the game can't even keep up with itself on when things are supposed to happen." *ding

"On a related note, game rags on Larry for not having a 100% accurate sense of time, even though the game itself (and most the characters in it) suffer from that same issue. Pot, meet kettle." *ding

"Also, Larry lies about searching for his promotional Steel Samurai balloon, probably to hide his blatant copyright infringement from the court." *ding

"In the end, the move that opens this case up to actually being winnable... is a DJ's time-indicative commentary lined up with the exact moment of the first gunshot. If that station had only a second's difference in their layout (or Yogi had waited a second longer to kill Hammond), Edgeworth would have been fucked. Sin for insanely unlikely strings of coincidence." *ding

"Phoenix spends any time at all thinking about whether or not he will bluff about something." *ding

(The bailiff says Yogi has disappeared) "How were they able to confirm Yogi wasn't at the boat shop so quickly? Do the police just have someone hanging out in that guy's house on standby? If so... why?" *ding

("I just wish our case weren't so down to the wire all the time.") "Don't worry, Phoenix. If the series is any indication, you eventually get used to it." *ding

"Edgeworth ends the second to last day in the courthouse by... appearing to a confess to a murder. Sorry Edgeworth, you're about a game too early for _that_  finale. Also, sin for the tease. (Though I guess if this game didn't establish the idea that all clients are innocent as well as it did, Farewell, My Turnabout might not have been as much of a shocker. After all... wait, what game am I sinning here?)" *ding

(Larry at the office) "Larry hits on a seventeen-year-old Maya and no one thinks that's weird." *ding

"Phoenix bases his trust of Edgeworth off of their brief friendship as nine-year-olds, like he's really the same person he was in fourth grade. If that were true of people, I would be a doctor by now." *ding

"Phoenix says he was on trial in the spring of his fourth grade year and that's when Edgeworth saved him, but in American school systems, that would have been well after DL-6 took place. Once again, easily fixed localization errors are left in the game for no reason." *ding

"Phoenix as a nine-year-old is adorable and all, but are you telling me he's had the same hairstyle for at least fifteen years? I think the game is trying to tell me that." *ding

"Also... just repeat my sin for Edgeworth, okay?" *ding

"Am I the only one who thinks it's weird that nine-year-old Larry is more eloquent than the adult one? And have I sinned this scene enough yet? I think I have." *ding

"According to this game, Phoenix bases his entire career path off the desire to reunite with his fourth grade BFF who has no desire to ever see him again. T&T rectifies this issue to a degree, but that game wasn't out when this one was being written, so it gets more than one sin for being both stereotypically game protagonist and otherwise stupid as fuck." *three sins

(Phoenix and Maya take advantage of Yogi's absence to break into the safe) "That's not legal." *ding

(finding the letter) "Manfred Von Karma is smart enough to put together this entire revenge plot, but somehow still stupid enough to both handwrite his entire scheme so it can be easily traced back to him _and_  not ensure said letter is destroyed a full three days after the plot was carried out. While the culprit may have great stage presence, he foils his own plot for the most basic of reasons. You'd think after forty years of catching criminals, he'd have learned a thing or two." *ding

(at the Detention Center) "Edgeworth bases his entire life's motivations around the fact that his father's supposed killer got off the hook (and Edgeworth believes the man should have been punished), but he completely ignores the fact that Yogi was only acquitted due to legal insanity. Legal insanity doesn't mean the court thinks he didn't do it. It just means that he was considered mentally incapable of distinguishing right from wrong. Does Edgeworth also not believe in the insanity plea?" *ding

"Also, if Yogi suffered noticeable brain damage from the incident, how come Edgeworth didn't? That never gets explained." *ding

(Edgeworth talking about his dream) "Not to downplay the horrid thought of killing your own father, but what you describe is involuntary manslaughter at best, Edgeworth. Considering the circumstances and Edgeworth's age at the time, it's really unlikely any judge in their right mind would punish him for it. No, it doesn't change what happened to Yogi, but keep that in mind when the game makes a huge deal about Edgeworth confessing in the trial tomorrow." *ding

"Also, Edgeworth is now convinced he murdered his own father, and Phoenix does  _nothing_  to comfort him whatsoever. He just... leaves him there, right in the Detention Center. So much for sentiment and friendship." *ding

(At Grossberg's Office) "Just so we're clear... is there any reason Von Karma waited until days before the statute of limitations ran out to act on his plan? If he'd waited until New Year's or whatever, and Edgeworth was found guilty, he'd still go to prison for Hammond's murder while believing he killed his father. Also, it'd be a lot safer for Von Karma, as it would ensure that even if things came back to haunt him, no one could convict him for the DL-6 murder. For such a perfectionist, Von Karma sure takes a lot unnecessary risks in this case." *ding

(Von Karma has only taken one vacation in all his life) "Von Karma doesn't take time off to see his daughters' births, or spend time with them as children. He doesn't take time off to see his eldest's wedding, or the birth of her child. He doesn't take time off to watch Franziska or Edgeworth get their badge or even watch their first cases go to court. No, the only time he takes time off from work is to hide a bullet wound to the shoulder after killing a man. For a man who supposedly wants perfection in his career  _and_  personal life, he sure has an awful work/life balance going on here." *ding

("But even accidental murder is murder, you know.") "Until Spirit of Justice, when Trucy almost gets charged with involuntary manslaughter. Does manslaughter exist in this series or not? Was the law added to the court system sometime between 2016 and 2028? This is never explained." *ding

(Confrontation with Von Karma) "Since when can Maya's thoughts be put in blue? That's never happened before, and until the scenes from her point of view in JFA or SoJ, it never happens again. So why does it happen here?" *ding

"Also, Von Karma talks about adopting Edgeworth like it was the easiest thing in the world for the man who just spent a whole year duking it out with his dad to take the kid away to Germany without a second thought. That's not how adoption works." *ding

" _Also_  also, if Von Karma really lives in Germany like the series later implies, wouldn't that extend the statute of limitations a few more years? Or does that law also change between now and AAI2? And even if it did, wouldn't the ex post facto law (the one where if you committed a crime at a time when it wasn't illegal, or the laws surrounding trying it were different, you can't be tried) go into effect and render Edgeworth's conviction of Gustavia invalid? There's just no explaining this!" *ding

"For the third time this time, Phoenix presents incriminating evidence to a murderer outside of court and is surprised when it goes badly. (Singing) Now six hundred thousand volts will go straight through your veins..." *three sins

"Hey, is it bad to read the lines of almost the entire scene in song? Asking for a friend here." *no sin. TM was  _that_  iconic for me

"Von Karma claims people don't normally die from six hundred thousand volts of electricity straight to the body, but it is actually possible to kill somebody with nine volts. It depends on the amps. So... yeah. Phoenix and Maya survive this." *ding

"How far away is Criminal Affairs from the Records Room? How is it that no one hears Von Karma doing this? Phoenix and Maya weren't exactly quiet while getting the shit tased out of them." *ding

"Phoenix caring about Maya's self-confidence is sweet and all, but why does he care so much here and not when Edgeworth is huddling in fear of an earthquake, or thinks he's committed patricide? I hate sinning this moment, but it comes out of virtually nowhere." *a half-sin

(In the defendant lobby) "Maya's clothes still contain an electric shock the day after she got hit with a stun gun. Does she really only have one set of clothes? And all this time, I thought the characters had multiple sets of the same outfit. Shows what I know." *ding

(In court) "Sure Yogi doesn't have fingerprints after what has to be the most convenient accident ever, but is there a reason we can't check the man's DNA? Yogi would have been hospitalized after the DL-6 incident, and if they took scans of his brain, I have a hard time believing they never got a sample of the man's DNA. Now, if the game said the hospital had since gotten rid of the sample in their database, I would drop this sin, but no one even tries to explore this avenue, and that is where I call bullshit." *ding

(Cross-examining the parrot) "I don't know who's crazier here: Phoenix, for wanting to cross-examine a bird, or Von Karma, for predicting that Phoenix would want to cross examine a bird, prompt him to do so, and retrain the bird accordingly. ...Eh. Why not both?" *two sins

"Also, training an animal as fast as Von Karma did would require... let's just say unconventional methods. And by unconventional, I completely mean that I suspect Von Karma of torturing a parrot." *ding

" _Also_  also, scene of Von Karma talking to a parrot was not included in the final version of the game." *ding

("I set my ATM card's number to '0001' because I'm number one!") "Von Karma says out loud this in open court.  _Someone_  gives no fucks about financial security." *ding

(Von Karma mentions his granddaughter) "And sixteen years after this game came out, we still have yet to meet her. As of Spirit of Justice, this girl would be eighteen: definitely old enough to be a lawyer or prosecutor in this universe. We also have yet to meet her parents (unless you think Franziska gave birth to a child at ten, that is)." *ding

(Yogi reveals himself) "There's no evidence forcing Yogi to admit the truth here. The plot just needs him to wrap up the present incident so we can jump into DL-6. What, did the game tell him he could sleep laying down now if he confessed early?" *ding

"Also, Yanni Yogi says here that he faked his insanity all these years, but the thing that got him acquitted was the defense of  _temporary_  insanity. Temporary, as in not forever. So... why did Yogi feel the need to act like a loon all the time? He could have saved himself a lot of pain by just staging a recovery, changing his name, and skipping town. But he didn't, because plot." *ding

(It looks like the case is over when...) "Two plus years before encountering Quercus Alba in person, Edgeworth graduated with honors at the Quercus Alba school of not letting the game end. Is there a word for the opposite of Fission Mailing? I feel like there's a word for this (besides bullshit, I mean)." *ding

(Edgeworth confesses to killing his father) "(Singing) "Whooo-ooh killed Gregory Edgeworth? Was Yanni Yogi wrongly accused? Whooo-ooh killed Gregory Edgeworth? How has justice been abused?" *removes a sin for the epic song inspired by this scene

*...adds it back for the sheer absurdity of this scene

"Out of curiosity, what would they even do to Edgeworth if he were found guilty? Just... ignore the fact that manslaughter apparently doesn't exist for a second, and remember the fact that Edgeworth was  _nine_! The minimum age for criminal responsibility in California  _and_  Japan is fourteen! There's a reason no one ever blames Pearl (also nine as of T&T) for her role in Bridge to the Turnabout. No one believed she'd conspired to kill Maya for even a second. The idea of doli incapax clearly exists in this universe, and Edgeworth as a prosecutor should know this. So... what does he think he's accomplishing by doing this, aside from driving himself insane? What does Von Karma think he'll accomplish by allowing this? Can someone  _please_  explain this to me? Because the game is doing a terrible job of it." *five sins

(Mia appears before Phoenix) "Well, _someone_  took their sweet time to pull a mentor ex machina. And to think, I almost forgot she was in this episode. But if you're a case in the trilogy, it is an unspoken rule you can't win a case without Mia Fey's help. Even if it's not the final blow, you  _cannot_  win a single case on your own skill." *more of a general criticism, but also a sin on this case

"Just something I noticed: in the fourth case of the first game and the first case of the fourth game, both incidents involve three people in a small, dark room where the victim begins to argue with the third person. The fight turns physical, and the defendant becomes concerned. The third person initially comes under suspicion for the crime, but later insists they couldn't have done it in the way that people believe them. In the end, the way the defendant avoids conviction is by giving testimony that implies a fourth, previously unrelated person was at the scene of the crime, who murdered the victim and framed the defendant out of a twisted sense of revenge for a sleight dealt to their career that they blew out of proportion. The killer then goes to elaborate lengths to hide their crime, only to be destroyed by the most basic of mistakes. Considering the message the game of Apollo Justice was meant to convey, it's interesting how similar it was to some of the most iconic aspects of the trilogy." *no sin, just me thinking

"Hey, if Von Karma went on a vacation with the bullet still in him, how did he get through security at the airport? Or any metal detector whatsoever?" *ding

"Also, how did he walk out of the courthouse injured without anyone noticing? How is it he suffered almost no ill effects from being shot in the shoulder? Was it merely a flesh wound? Did he spend his months of vacation in intense physical therapy? What did he tell his family? When did he adopt Edgeworth? This case answers none of the important questions." *ding

"Using Chekhov's Gu- I mean, the metal detector after using it only once for the most minor of reasons in the entire case. This surprise reveal is a lot less surprising when you realize the rules of storytelling dictated this was bound to happen." *and yet, I can't bring myself to sin this moment

(Von Karma's breakdown/end of the trial) "Thank. God." *removes five sins

(Gumshoe bursts into the defendant lobby with a "Whooooooop!") "Hahahahahaha. Why is that so funny?" *removes another sin

(Edgeworth saying "Whoooooop!" as well) *tries to remove one more sin. Can't see the sin button due to laughing so hard

(Edgeworth suggests he and Phoenix should try switching job) "And yet, the only the only one who actually tries to switch for a day is Edgeworth in Trials and Tribulations. Phoenix never tries out prosecuting. Since this awesome concept was only half filled, I will award it only a half sin." *half sin awarded

"Maya's departure photo... is utterly beautiful. It gets my heart in all the right ways." *removes a sin

"And... no more sins! Enjoy the credits everyone. Complete with a whooping Edgeworth!"

**Total Sin Tally: 103**

**Sentence: 600,000 Volts of Electricity (straight to your veins)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /N's: Whoo hoo! I finished sinning the game's finale! Now to sin the... other... longer finale... fuck.
> 
> Anyone already what game they want me to sin next? Right now, I was considering either Justice for All or Apollo Justice, but really, I can do any of the games except for the DGS's (until they get a proper Capcom or fan translation) and the crossover (the crossover is the only game I have ever played with Layton in it. Any review I write wouldn't do that side of the crossover justice). Let me know in the reviews, okay?
> 
> Until then, I'm tired. See you on the far side, I guess.


	5. Everything Wrong With: Rise from the Ashes

"To date, this is the ONLY main series case that breaks the naming rule and refuses to put the word 'Turnabout' in its title. Does 'Turnabout from the Ashes' not sound cool enough? Even the AAI series follows the rule. The crossover is, well, the crossover, and DGS had a rule of its own. So... what, does this case think it's special? The DGS2 before DGS2 existed? Either way, sin for the inconsistency." *ding

"The opening cutscene is awesome." *removes a sin

"Phoenix has refused to take any cases for two months, even though he's had offers, and I can honestly say I don't understand his logic. Does he enjoy not having a stable income? Is he just lazy? Maya or no Maya, he's still a lawyer. If he was perfectly willing to take his first couple cases without an assistant by his side, I don't understand why he's suddenly incapable of doing it now." *ding

(seeing Ema in the office) "If Phoenix just showed up, how did Ema get in? Does Phoenix not lock the door? Is Ema secretly good at lockpicking? This never gets explained." *ding

"Ema thought a twenty-four year old man was Mia Fey for even a second." *ding

"Also, off-brand Maya. Sure, her character eventually grows out of it (and is much better for it), but not in this episode, nor anytime soon." *ding

"Why is Ema saying Phoenix is undefeated, like it's a big deal? I get it's hard for defense lawyers to win in this series, but come on. He's been a lawyer for less than a year! And only taken four cases, at that. If anything, she should be making a big deal about him defeating Von Karma. That was  _way_  more impressive." *ding

("I'm set to be assigned to Forensics in three more years.") "Well, eleven. Close enough, right?" *ding

"Ema comes here to request the services of Mia Fey to get the plot going, but... wouldn't Ema have at least heard about Mia's death on the news, if the case received as much coverage as the game said it did? Her sister is the Chief Prosecutor, so she'd definitely know about it too. Did Lana really never say anything to Ema? Why is this bullshit necessary in order to get the plot moving?" *ding

(at the Detention Center) "Lana threatens to cut a guard's pay from prison over letting her immediate family visit her. Lana is a jerk." *ding

(Lana spins around while seated to face Phoenix) "Why does Lana get a spinny chair while in detention? No one else does." *ding

(Phoenix lampshades how similar the Skyes are to the Feys) "You know, acknowledging your obvious ripoff of previous cases and characters does nothing to absolve you from the sin of obviously ripping off your previous cases and characters. And with how hard they hammer it in, I can't even applaud the case for trying. Because they're _not_  trying. They're rubbing it in my face like an asshole." *two sins

("In three years, the gold plating will flake off. Then we'll see the real you.") "Lana Skye inaccurately foreshadows the events of AJ:AA. While Phoenix's gold badge  _does_  come off, it's not because he revealed his true nature, but the complete opposite. If you're going to foreshadow, can you at least do so accurately?" *ding

(Lana confesses to the crime from the outset) "And in the contest for most uncooperative defendant of the game, Lana Skye has Edgeworth running for his money in the first half hour. I mean, she's no Wocky, but damn." *ding

(Lana explaining why Mia was attracted to her) "Mia was attracted to Lana in college? That beats my fanfiction." *ding

(At the parking garage) "Jake Marshall's cowboy fetish is  _so_  over the top. It's hilarious." *only a half-sin

"Jake Marshall  _should_  have a real gun, being a police officer and all, but he still threatens Phoenix with a finger one. For some reason." *ding

(Ema talking about a sign) "Cafe Security." *ding

"Angel Starr." *three sins

"Ema is the third female in this game alone to fulfill the 'chics dig the Edgeworth' cliche. So naturally, this cliche gets... only one sin." *ding (what can I say? I too dig the Edgeworth)

(Ema keeps unknowingly insulting Edgeworth right in front of him) "Hahahahahaha." *removes a sin

"Edgeworth was assigned to prosecute his own boss. Allow me to reiterate what I said last episode: conflict of interest not existing in this universe does fix the obvious conflict of interest." *ding

(Edgeworth refers to the SL-9 incident) "Incident from x years ago is related to today cliche for the third time in as many episodes. I sinned it in the last case, and I'll sin it again. I don't care how good your game is, or that an episode was tacked on later. There is  _no reason_  to use the same cliche three times in a row.  _None._ " *ding

"Ema and Phoenix run around examining Edgeworth's office and personal belongings... right in front of Edgeworth." *ding

"Edgeworth lost his winning streak to a newbie twice over (in one of which cases he did almost nothing for three days) and got accused of murder last year. None of the times we saw Edgeworth was he doing his best work as a prosecutor. Unless it was a pity win, why would Edgeworth be chosen as the King of Prosecutors? Who chose him, and why? I mean, I love the guy, but-" *ding

(Meekins appears) "Well, someone forgot to translate the Japanese characters on this guy's armband. This is far from the only time it happens in this game, so let this be a blanket sin for all the bits of scenery and costuming that were forgotten in the localization process. And yes, I'm an asshole for sinning this." *ding

"Mike Meekins is a character." *five sins for now

"Yes. Yell at Meekins the  _one time_  he does his job correctly. I can already tell that isn't going to be often in this series." *ding

(At the Police Department) "Phoenix says this is his first time at the Police Department... even though he went to Criminal Affairs and the records room there just an episode ago. What, did the taser blast do something to his memory? Or was it the fire extinguisher?" *ding

(Ema argues with Gumshoe about the case) "Ema may sound like an immature child here, but she ends up being right about everything. One point for Science Maya." *no sin

(Gumshoe says people think Edgeworth wants Lana's job) "Well, he does, but not for another ten years. How did Takumi know what Yamakazi was going to write about eight years beforehand?" *ding

("Our badge is a star, a lone star, shining in the nighttime sky. A beam of light, illuminating evildoers who come in the dark of night!") "Speech by cowboy patrolman unintentionally inspires monologue for a teenager with a Robin Hood obsession four years later. Who knew?" *ding

("You calling me out? They shoot you for that in Texas.") "As a Texan, I can tell you right now: this... is one hundred percent true." *ding

(Ema explains flip phones to Phoenix's because of his "generation") "Generation? He's a fucking millennial! If anyone's teaching someone in 2017 how to use a flip phone, it's Phoenix to Ema.  _Not_  the other way around." *ding

"Ema doesn't recognize her own sister's phone." *ding

(Phoenix proves Lana called Ema after the murder) "Phoenix does some awesome deductive work... then drops the line of questioning immediately. And this is why we go to Edgeworth for Logic during investigations." *ding

(In court) "Phoenix makes a big deal about having no Fey at his side to help him, but never fear: this still counts as a trilogy case. Mia will  _most definitely_ be making an appearance later." *ding

(Angel Starr on the stand) "Edgeworth can't get witnesses to say their name cliche." *ding

"Why does such a large Prosecutor's Office have a tiny-ass parking lot? That never gets explained." *ding

("I-It's merely a flesh wound, Mr. Wright!") "..." *quietly removes a sin

"Angel Starr offers to let the judge become her fourth boyfriend. That... is a fanfiction I never want to read." *ding

(Starr calls Goodman a greenhorn, even though he'd been a detective for at least two years as of death and worked side by side with her on the high profile SL-9 case.) "Starr goes out of her way to insult someone who was just murdered." *ding

"Gallery chatter strikes at the most random of times. Sure, the later games overuse it, but at least they know when to come in with their death chants." *ding

("Ladies and gentleman, if you're going to plan a murder, you don't forget the weapon!") "Phoenix Wright: Ace Murder Expert." *ding

"Ema remains attracted to the man currently prosecuting her sister and no one thinks that's weird." *ding

"Edgeworth steals several of Wright's objections in this trial, knowing exactly what he was going to say each time. Considering the two have only met four times as adults as of this case, isn't it a little early to build up this dynamic? Just because the case was written after T&T doesn't mean it takes place then." *ding

(Angel's constant food (and occasional snake) metaphors) "Angel Starr graduated with honors at the Diego Armando school of speaking in nonsensical metaphor. If Phoenix is this impatient with it now, how is it he was able to sit through two and two thirds of an episode with Godot? That never gets explained." *ding

(Starr hides evidence from Edgeworth more than once) "I don't know who's more fed up at this point: Phoenix, Edgeworth, or myself. Seriously. Can this witness just let it go and move on already? I'm starting to think this case would be better off if we skipped this day." *ding

"Evidence law somehow boils down to only two extremely broad rules, neither of which state that the evidence must be genuine. No wonder this place has so many forgery issues." *ding

"Angel Starr smuggled key evidence away from the crime scene (giving her the chance to taint it for her own agenda) and faces literally no consequences whatsoever." *ding

"Why was there an oil drum filled with water at the crime scene? Was the parking garage experiencing leaks? This case answers none of the important questions." *ding

"Also, Edgeworth claims Lana knocked the oil drum over to hide her crime... but acknowledges she spent five minutes dawdling at a crime scene, cut herself mid-crime and didn't bother to clean up after herself, and makes no move to protest her innocence upon arrest. Gotta admire his consistency." *ding

"Phoenix averts a guilty verdict... because a petty ex-detective can't take shallow insults from a teenager. If Starr had even slightly thicker skin, Lana Skye would be fucked. Pretty ironic, all things considered." *ding

("You've reached your verdict, Your Honor! Any further comments will be held in contempt of court!") "Edgeworth tries to pull a Manfred Von Karma on the first day of trial and is surprised when it goes badly." *ding

"Also, this case gives you endless of scenarios of the prosecutor unintentionally looking suspicious, just to make fun of how you accused the prosecutor of murder in the last case." *ding

(Mia appears before Phoenix) "Mentor ex machina." *ding

"Also, if you're going to pull stunts like this, was it really necessary to make a big deal about no Feys being around? Why build this case up to be something special and different if you're just going to follow all the same cliches as every other case in the bunch? It's almost like AJ is the next thing to be written by this guy or something." *ding

"The way the judge describes Edgeworth when trial resumes, you'd think he kept his promise from last episode and had a heart attack. At this point, I'm starting to believe he actually could." *ding

("Ah, er, excuse me. Knock knock?" "...? Who's there?" (camera goes to Gant and cues the organ music)) "This character introduction." *removes a sin

"Also, long stares." sin given back

" _Also_  also... Damon Gant, everybody." *sin removed once more

(Gant uses his position to shift blame on Edgeworth for the sloppy investigation) "I love the way Gant's character shines through here. Even within the first five minutes of knowing him, you already see how his pleasant facade gives way to a far darker person. Even though putting a patrol officer in charge and kicking Gumshoe off the investigation was Gant's design, you see him frame Edgeworth for all of it, and Edgeworth flailing underneath the accusation at a loss for words. In a way, revealing Gant as the culprit was a well written twist, but in a way... you can already see it coming. Five sins off for  _incredible_  characterization from the outset." *five sins removed

(Gant has a fucking orgasm over regular trial procedure.) "This goes on for some time." *ding

"Judge can't remember seven digit numbers for even five seconds. Seeing as he lived in an era when people had to memorize phone numbers, this must have been terrible for him when he was younger." *ding

(The two places contradiction) "Well, Meekins tried to warn you about this, Edgeworth. Even if you were gas-lighted earlier, the fault lies with you on this one. Remind me how you won that King of Prosecutors trophy, again? I feel bad, but this trial is going terribly for him. Months after his personal life was ravaged, his professional career is shit on at  _every. Single. Turn_. And people wonder why he faked his suicide after this case." *ding

("Mr. Edgeworth. The victim's name is written write on the top of the report.") "Wrong Wright in this sentence... Wait." *sin on the game and myself

"Both the judge and Phoenix need to have basic evidence law explained to them. How did Phoenix pass the bar exam again?" *ding

(Ema investigates with Phoenix) "Hey, I have a question: this case takes place over the course of four days, and we know Ema's in high school so... how is it she's able to be with Phoenix all four days? There's no American holiday when this case takes place. Even with her legal guardian on trial, she'd still be required to go to school, wouldn't she? I can believe Maya not needing to, being from a cult in the mountains and all, but we  _know_ that isn't true for Ema. I have the same problem with Trucy and Kay in their games, and seriously: what is it with teenage assistants and skipping school? For a game series targeted at children, this really sets a terrible example." *ding

"Forensicking in this series for the first time." *removes a sin

("I swear it on my honor as a detective! She stabbed Goodman!") "Angel isn't technically wrong about this, but... is it really a good idea for her to use her ex-profession to swear on things? It lacks sincerity to base an oath on something you only used to have. 'I swear on the Gameboy that I used to love twelve years ago-'" *ding

(Starr describing her days as the Cough-up Queen) "(Singing) She wants to dance like Uma Thurman, bury me 'til I confess..." *ding

(Starr explains SL-9 to Phoenix) "Don't forget the DL-6! Braaa- Oh wait: wrong case..." *ding

"Game requires you to visit places you can do absolutely nothing at several times in a row in order to move the game forward. Why does nothing have to happen before something does?" *ding

(Meekins in the Detention Center) "Who let this man keep his megaphone? And  _why?_ " *ding

"Meekins thinks Phoenix is getting it on with a sixteen year old girl. Meekins is creepy." *ding

"Meekins stood before somebody pointing a knife at him, and his first instinct was to jump forward. I wish I could say this killed his character, but no: he has two more canon appearances lined up after this. Punishment for evil may be fairly consistent in this universe, but punishment for stupidity sure isn't." *ding

(At Criminal Affairs) "The police manage to lock up everything Goodman kept at his desk... Except the piece of evidence important to our case in court tomorrow. I guess Gant shares his chief duties with the scriptwriter?" *ding

(Marshall loudly eats while Ema and Phoenix question him) "Hungry patrol officer unintentionally inspires grumpy detective with Snackoo fetish two years later." *ding

"All these lockers in the Evidence Room, each representing a single detective... and we still get Gumshoe as our detective for three games straight. I may love Gumshoe, but the odds of this happening are astronomical. This case proves Takumi  _can_ write other decent police characters, he just... didn't. Behold: Economy Casting at its finest." *ding

"Phoenix talks shit about Detective Gumshoe... right in front of Detective Gumshoe." *ding

"Also, repeated dialogue. Lots of it." *ding

(Putting the vase back together) "We interrupt your regularly schedules murder mystery to bring you... puzzles! And no, the Layton crossover is nowhere close to coming out at this point." *ding

"Ema Skye brings Luminol everywhere she goes because she understands a violent crime can happen anywhere in this universe. Behold, the origin of genre savvy sidekicks for the series." *no sin

(Gumshoe explains SL-9) "Police detective confuses serial murder with spree murder." *ding

(Gumshoe writes a note on the back of a Tres Bien flyer) "No way was Tres Bien able to stay open for two years, but cool reference, I guess." *ding

"The bellboy cameo." *ding

(Edgeworth talks about how many times he's appeared before the PIC) "Minor subplot unintentionally inspires epic spinoff game six years later." *ding

"Edgeworth  _also_ confuses spree murder with a serial killing. As the prosecutor of the case, he should really know better." *two sins

"Using fingerprint powder for the first time." *removes a sin

"Overusing the Core Theme. Seriously. It plays for a solid twenty minutes in this investigation, even when nothing of interest is happening." *ding

(Back in court) "Meekins on the witness stand." *ding

"Why are we still using videotapes in 2017?" *ding

"Also, this video. I think Edgeworth said it best:

Edgeworth: What the hell was that wriggling piece of plywood!?" *three sins

"Also, how is the video quality here better than it was in Turnabout Serenade? This case came out earlier, and if the number of grammar errors and Japanese characters left in the case are any indication, it was the one with less effort put into it. I'm not entirely sure which case I'm sinning here, but it's a sin nonetheless." *ding

(Man in Evidence Room wasn't Goodman) "Lawyer makes the prosecutor's argument for them cliche." *ding

(Lana used Phoenix's name to request evidence) "Lana committed signature fraud while in detention (and while being questioned by police officers) and literally no one noticed. And she said she wasn't a very good criminal." *ding

"Suspense music plays over the grand reveal that yes,  _everyone_  in this case had a role in the SL-9 incident. Because the investigation did absolutely  _nothing_  to imply that." *ding

(Jake Marshall on the stand) "Jake Marshall also attended the Diego Armando school of speaking in nonsensical metaphor while in court. It's almost like Takumi wrote T&T just before this or something." *ding

(Judge: See this locker that has a white cloth sticking out? This is the witness's locker.) "Why is the judge making Phoenix's argument for him, then shocked by the same argument five seconds later? Either the writers(/localizers) fucked up who was saying what, or we have a Phantom on our hands eight years earlier than anticipated." *ding

("I only got one word for you, pardner. NOOOOOO!") "No." *ding

(Edgeworth quotes Mia for Phoenix's benefit) "Is this a mentor ex machina, or an Edgeworth ex machina? I can never sure on this one." *ding

"His Honor is the third person in this case who doesn't understand the difference between spree killing and serial murder, so let me break it down: a serial killer kills in a series, meaning several victims at different times, with a cool down period in between. A spree killer kills several people one after the other with no cool down period, as Joe Darke did. Finally, a mass murderer kills several people all at once or within a very short time. And with that, congratulations. You now know more about murderers than the game series that features one every episode." *three sins

"In the wide pan shot, Ema is by Phoenix's side, but when the gameplay resumes, Phoenix is alone and Ema bursts through the courtroom door to the witness stand. How does she move around the courthouse so quickly?" *ding

(Lana drops the bombshell that she forged evidence during SL-9 and causes a gallery riot) "Now  _that's_  how you end a trial day. Most players likely remember nothing else from the first two days of trial (I sure as fuck didn't), but I can sure guarantee they remembered this." *removes a sin

"Although... this raises a really odd question: when Edgeworth unknowingly presents forged evidence in court, his only real consequences are self-induced. When Phoenix does the same thing in the next game Takumi writes, he gets disbarred and shamed by  _everybody_. Why does that change from here to AJ? Did the laws get stricter in the twenty six months between this case and that one?" *ding

(Phoenix says he didn't see Ema being a witness in SL-9 coming) "Of course! Who could have guessed the case that every single character has a connection to involves our case special assistant as well? It's not like this case is modeled after Turnabout Goodbyes or anything." *ding

(There was a thunderstorm when Marshall was killed) "And the true killer has what sort of motif?" *no sin

"Also, blackout before the murder cliche." *ding

"If Darke was trying to escape questioning and not be caught as a spree killer, why the fuck would he run to a random office (and not, oh, I don't know, an  _exit_ ) and try to kill a teenager? His victims (after the first accidental one) were killed to hide the fact he killed the first person. Going after Ema does the exact opposite, and fingers him as a killer more than any of the evidence collected so far. Even conceding that Darke is crazy, these actions make zero sense." *ding

"Marshall confessed to assault, theft, and identity fraud in court this morning, so naturally, he gets to walk around completely free afterwards. Sure, he says he's going to the Prosecutor's Office for an interrogation, but only because he wants to. Is assault not a crime in this universe?!" *ding

"Chief Detective mentions the police giving statements to the media about ongoing cases, but the series never mentions that again. Why is that?" *ding

"Gant managed to install a full size pipe organ in his office. I cannot imagine taxpayers were happy." *ding

(Gant kicks Phoenix and Ema out of the two-year-old crime scene)"So this is the true origin of pulling a Portsman. I guess that cliche is inappropriately named." *ding

"Darke killed five people in 2014 in what was presumably a public area (except maybe the last one, when he's burying bodies) in the middle of Los Angeles and was only seen by his victims. No cameras, no witnesses he didn't notice, nothing. He also left no DNA at any of the scenes, no one saw the damage that hitting a person did to his car, no one was walking with the kid he murdered or knew where the kid would be, no one found any blood on the streets, no one saw or found... how the fuck is any of this possible? How the flying fuck did the police need a team of five detectives to find evidence of this? How in the eternal fires of fucking hell did they fail? Maybe,  _maybe_  I could believe this if the game claimed it was premeditated, and Darke came with materials prepared to clean up after himself and chose his victims carefully. But he didn't, and honestly? The game would be better off just saying he was a spree killer and leaving it vague. Don't add details if they're just gonna be bullshit. This whole crime deserves ten sins for the sheer absurdity of  _any_  of this working the way Gumshoe claims." *ten sins

"Also, if there really wasn't any evidence connecting him to any of this (unbelievable as that is), how does Gumshoe know this information? Did Darke confess before he was executed? That never gets explained." *ding

 _"Also_  also, the  _one_ detective character who was not involved in SL-9 is the most informative out of all six of them. Why? How?!" *ding

"Edgeworth is extremely grumpy when interrupted mid-resignation letter. Considering the sort of career he has ahead of him, he should really be more grateful." *ding

"Phoenix is terrible at distractions." *ding

"I know Edgeworth's screwdriver errand was just Gant's ploy to make the murder more confusing, but I really wanna know what case it was attached to. Who committed an especially violent crime against a member of the police with a  _screwdriver_?" *sin because nobody tells me

(Explaining the meaning behind the (broken) King of Prosecutors trophy) "Obvious symbolism for the case at hand is obvious." *ding

(Final conversation with Starr) "This case has a  _great_  presentation of the "end justifies means" dilemma, where everyone can agree Darke needed to be convicted but many object to how it was done. Why was this so hard in later games, then?" *not really a sin of  _this_  case, so... half-sin awarded

(Gumshoe gives up his badge to stop Edgeworth's resignation) "Aw... dammit! I'm not heartless." *removes a sin

"Game here states Gant got drunk at the New Year's Party, but both JFA and AJ go to extreme lengths to deny the existence of alcohol. So... which is it?" *ding

"Gumshoe suspects Gant of killing Goodman before most everybody in the game. Go Detective Gumshoe!" *no sin

"Also, for what's supposed to be a quick snoop of Gant's office, Phoenix, Gumshoe, and Ema sure spend a lot of time chatting about nothing. I would remove all my sins for this case if they were busted at this very moment." *ding

(Gant's safe password is his ID number) "Gant sucks at passwords." *ding

(Bloodstains on the broken jar) "For a two-year old case, those stains are amazingly red. So this is where Turnabout for Tomorrow gets it." *ding

"Phoenix hides incriminating evidence from Ema, only so he can become suspicious of her in court later. So this is where Turnabout for Tomorrow gets it." *ding

"Gant, the man Phoenix suspects of corruption and murder, wants a word alone with a teenage Ema, who's clearly scared of him. So naturally, Phoenix response is to just let it happen with no objections." *ding

("Don't be stupid! Today's the last day of trial! We don't have time to reminisce about the past!") "Unless you're Turnabout Goodbyes, in which case it's the only thing you do on the last day of trial. Gosh, even Edgeworth got tired of the constant parallels." *ding

(Edgeworth rejects Lana's confession of guilt) "Miles Edgeworth is awesome." *removes a sin

"Phoenix and Edgeworth briefly switch characters in the 'Ema will testify about SL-9' scene." *ding

"Edgeworth has had his half of the evidence list for two years, and never noticed the partial drawing on the back of it. I would say this surprises me, but considering he did nearly the same thing in Turnabout Sisters, it really doesn't." *ding

"Lana's 'slapping the witness stand' animation is wonderfully done, but it looks like she's hitting a lawyer bench more than a witness stand. Kinda makes me wish she got to prosecute a case in this series. If Edgeworth can do it as Chief Prosecuter twice, why can't she do it once?" *ding

(Finding the exact angle at which a jar looks like the Blue Badger) "This puzzle. It has to be exactly right and it doesn't matter if you have the right idea unless it's perfect and I fail fifty times in a row and I don't like it." *ding

(Phoenix claims Ema accidentally killed Neil Marshall) "And to think, this whole case could have been avoided... if Gant didn't feel like keeping a suit of armor with an unsheathed knife at his workplace. If this man had less dangerous decorative taste, none of this would have been possible." *ding

(Ema screams) "No." *ding

"Fainting in court cliche." *ding

("Ema" on the jar) "'I identified my attacker with my blood' cliche. Murderers just can't get enough of these, can they?" *ding

"Also... When exactly did this jar break? Phoenix later says it couldn't have broken before Gant wrote Ema's name on it (meaning after Ema passed out), but in her testimony, Ema says she saw it falling and drew as much. Did that unstable ass jar not break when it fell? Are there two jars? This never gets explained." *ding

(Gant tortures Edgeworth over killing Darke for a crime he didn't commit) "Gaslighting. Gant pushes Edgeworth to fake his death with these remarks." *ding

"Also... gee, with all this talk about the difference between the law and justice and the issue of forgery, it's almost like AJ was the next game in the series or something. Seriously, how were people surprised when that game came out?" *ding

(Gallery riot puts the trial in recess) "I would like to take this moment to acknowledge the time stamps at the bottom of the screen. They're actually somewhat believable with how long sessions in court are. Guess who got their shit together between 2001 and 2005?" *removes a sin

(Gumshoe interrupts Phoenix and Edgeworth) "Dialogue reused word for word from  _yesterday._ " *ding

(Gant on the stand) "Edgeworth can't get witnesses to say their name cliche." *ding

"Cracking Gant's testimonies is both amazingly executed and extremely frustrating. Between having to press statements in a certain order and the trap Gant lays with evidence law, you really get the sense you're facing the ultimate opponent of this game, not to mention one of the best in the series. For being both amazingly and hair-pullingly difficult, the game makes me want to remove and add five sins simultaneously. "*in the end, they cancel out

("Prosecutors aren't the only ones capable of forging evidence. Defense attorneys can do so too.") "Foreshadowing. And unlike Lana, he actually does it right." *ding

"Gant and His Honor have a telepathic connection. If those form the way I guessed they were in DD... that is a fanfiction I never want to read." *ding

("Do you mean to tell me... that despite the Chief's formidable appearance, he plays with puppets!?") "Hahahahaha." *removes another sin

"Also, His Honor is surprised when Phoenix takes on Damon Gant... even though the last trial Phoenix took part in chronologically involved him defeating the so-called 'God of Prosecutors' and putting the guy behind bars. If anything, the judge should be asking how it happened again so soon." *ding

"How did Gant get Goodman's body into Edgeworth's trunk without being noticed? That's never explained." *ding

(Phoenix admits he can't present evidence, nearly invoking a penalty) "I love this trap here. If he doesn't present evidence, what looks like a failure conversation until the very last second plays. It's almost as clever as the final present of T&T, in which the music cue never hits and Godot seems to say the same thing regardless of whether or not you were correct. One sin off for clever use of gameplay." *removes a sin

(Trying to get Lana to testify) "Gant threatens Lana with jailing her sister in open court, and literally no one bats an eye." *ding

(Gumshoe offers to become Phoenix's assistant) "This never happens." *ding

(Nahy- I mean, Lana on the stand) "Until now, I never realized how much Turnabout Revolution took from this case. This case can count its inspirations among Turnabout Goodbyes and (to a lesser degree) Bridge to the Turnabout, rewrote the circumstances behind Edgeworth's absence in JFA, led directly to AJ and indirectly to the AAIs, and inspired major elements in both DD and SoJ's respective finales. Seeing as it was the first case in the series to use the DS features like Luminol spraying and fingerprint powder (and also the first case ever made for the DS), it paved the way for a lot more gameplay elements later on. Adding the fact that Hart Vortex from DGS is essentially a revamped Damon Gant... is there any part of this series this case  _doesn't_ have a connection to? It's practically the turning point of the whole series! I acknowledge this case's flaws as much as the next player, but without this case... nothing that came after the original trilogy would be what it is today." *no sin here, just me rambling

(Gant returns) "The evidence trap." *removes a sin

("This is going to be the biggest scandal in the history of the Police Department!") "Until an international spy poses as a detective, that is." *ding

"The shape of the cloth Phoenix has and the piece cut from Neil Marshall's jacket do not match." *ding

"First, Gant wants to have Phoenix punished for concealing evidence. Now, he wants Phoenix punished for presenting it. Make up your mind, murderer." *ding

"In the end, it isn't conclusive evidence or a grand bluff that Phoenix wins the case with, but basic legal knowledge. How has this not happened more often in this series?" *ding

"Gant's breakdown." *removes three sins

("You despise criminals. I can feel it. You and me... we're the same. One day you'll understand. If you want to take them on alone... you'll figure out what's needed!") "This advice is directed at Edgeworth, but he isn't the one who ends up following it. Think: who ended up using forged evidence and rewriting rule of law to take down a criminal in the next game again?" *no sin. Just think about it

"Also, Lana's smile." *removes a sin

(After the trial) "Gumshoe's exact dialogue reused for a third time. The second this day. Games tries to cut corners on effort and thinks I won't notice." *ding

(Phoenix gives a closing speech) "Ending narration." *ding

"Lana says we'll meet her again someday, but it's been twelve years since this case was released. We still haven't." *ding

(Ema and Lana make up/comforting Edgeworth) "Lots and lots of heartwarming fluff added to an already too long case." *still can't bring myself to sin it

(Lana says she and Ema will investigate crimes together one day) "This also never happens." *ding

"Both Yamakazi and Takumi were in charge of planning this case? I thought it was just Takumi. No wonder both of them take so much from it in their later work!" *not really a sin

"No more sins. Enjoy the credits for the one case special, everyone!"

**Total Sin Tally: 140**

**Sentence: "Swimming" with Damon Gant**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N's: It is done! I can't believe it! I have slain the monster of a case that is RftA! Also, I might be a little bit of a Damon Gant fan. Could you tell?
> 
> But god... It's two am. I have to put together a presentation worth 15% of my exam grade tomorrow because I've been slacking off. And instead of doing that, I sat my butt down at this computer around ten and refused to get up until I was done with this case. I went through the entire last day of trial tonight, so don't feel bad pointing out things I missed in any part of this. I'm probably gonna have to go through and tidy up anyway. For anyone curious, the final sin tally of this game was 389. The first three cases were too short to shore up that many sins, and the last two were such milestones for the series I couldn't bring myself to be too harsh. Plus I don't want to be flamed.
> 
> For anyone who wants to know, the next AA game I plan to sin... is Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. My question last chapter turned up a tie, so I decided to go with the game I have access to on my mobile phone. When I don't have my DS with me, I would pull up walkthroughs on YouTube, and let's just say I'm a a black hole for data usage. Expect that up eventually.
> 
> In case I don't update before then, Happy Halloween everyone. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed the ride, and I'll see you on the far side!


End file.
